Control device



March 26, 1963 R. H. WALLACE, JR 3,082,644

CONTROL DEVICE Filed March 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm I III R. H. WALLACE, JR

CONTROL DEVICE March 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1961 RINVENTOR. a3 54 2mm ,QMdM

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3,082,644 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 3,082,644 CONTROL DEVICE Ray H. Wallace, In, Norwell, Mass, assignor to Emits Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,141 6 Claims. (Cl. 74568) This invention relates to improvements in a memory device, particularly a mechanical memory device of the type described and illustrated by Bruno E. Enssle in co pending United States application, Serial No. 805,911, filed April 13, 1959, now Patent No. 3,013,445.

In essence, the present invention substitutes magnetic guide means for the spring means described and illustrated in said copending application to effect antijamming. The construction and function of the improved memory device will be clearly understood from the following detailed description and attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a memory device of the present invention with a portion of the rotor broken away to show the ball-diverting path-selecting mechanism' and the magnetic guide means;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 to show in detail the relationship between the stator, the rotor, and the magnetic guide means;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view taken generally along line 33 of FIG. 2 to show the inner face of the rotor, FIG. 3 also showing the ball bearings and plate that serve to space the stator and rotor;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the inner face of the stator, FIG. 4 also showing the detector mechanism mounted on the stator at the upper peripheral portion thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the ball-diverting path-selecting mechanism and magnetic guide means; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational View taken along line 66 of FIG. 2 to show the mounting of the magnetic guide means on the outer face of the stator.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved memory device consists of a stator 6 that has the form of a generally circular plate with a peripheral extension 6a, a rotor 7 that is also formed generally as a circular plate, and a threaded shaft 8 that is journalled in a ball bearing assembly 9 carried by the stator, the rotor being carried on the shaft and retained thereon by a pin 8a carried by the end of the shaft. Shaft 8, in conjunction with means described below, maintains stator 6 and rotor 7 in spaced parallel relationship as shown in FIG. 2, the rotor being free to rotate relative to the stator and the stator being fixedly mounted during operation of the memory device.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the stator 6, at its inner face, is provided with an annular substantially semicircular sectioned groove 17 and the rotor 7 is also provided with a similar companion groove 18, the grooves 17 and .18 facing each other and forming the race for ball bearings 19. A plate 20 embraces shaft 8 and is positioned between the stator and rotor, said plate being circular and being provided with angularly spaced notches 21 in each of which a ball bearing 19 is positioned whereby the balls in the race are angularly spaced from each other. In effect, the plate 20 functions as a cage for the balls.

When the stator and rotor are assembled, a nut 22 engages threads 23 on shaft 8 whereby the stator and rotor may be assembled. The ball bearings 19 thus function as antifriction means to permit free rotation of the rotor relative to the stator. The peripheral portions of the stator and rotor are spaced from each other, as at 24 in FIG. 2, the balls 19 and grooves 17 and 18 being of such dimensions as to maintain this space. Hence, the balls 19, to a degree, function as spacers.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of substantially annular grooves 25 and 26 are provided in the inner face of the stator, said grooves being substantially semi-circular in section; being concentric with each other and radially adjacent each other. Both of the grooves 25 and 26 are positioned radially outwardly and concentric with the race for the ball bearings 19.

The grooves 25 and 26 are discontinuous in the sense that they terminate as grooves per se in a zone which will hereinafter be referred to generally as the triggering zone 27 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5). At one portion of the triggering zone, the two grooves 25 and 26 merge into a tapered zone 28 (FIG. 4) which itself terminates in a mouth or passageway 29, said passageway being in substantial circular alignment with the outer groove 26. Adjacent the outlet of passageway 29 a substantially triangular shaped trigger 30 is positioned, said trigger carry ing a journaling pin 31 about which the trigger swings. The portion of the zone in which the trigger 30 swings is recessed, as at 32 in FIGS. 4 and 5, the surface of the trigger being substantially flush with the inner surface of the stator.

The juxtaposed inner face of rotor 7 is provided with an annular series of grooves '37 (FIG. 3) which have radial extents sufiicient to bridge both grooves 25 and 26. The grooves 37 are not radial but are inclined to the radial in such manner that the inner radial end of each groove leads the outer radial end of said grove, considered in the direction of rotation of the rotor.

In the use of the invention, a ball 38 is positioned in each groove 37 and when the stator and rotor have been properly assembled, the balls 38 in each groove will also be positioned in either groove 25 or 26 or in the triggering zone 27. When the rotor rotates, the balls 38 are moved circularly by the ribs separating adjacent grooves 37. As can be observed from FIG. 2, the cage provided by groove 37 and groove 25 or 26 is of suflicient size as to permit free movement of the balls in the facing grooves.

The inclination of grooves 37 to the radial is such that when the rotor rotates in its intended direction, i.e., clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, a component of the circular force applied to each ball tends to urge said ball radially outwardly. This radial component exercises its major function at the triggering zone 27.

When the device is mounted for operation, the triggering zone 27 is lowermost so that the force of gravity may be employed both on the balls 38 and the trigger 30, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

When the balls 38 are properly positioned in the grooves 37, as hereinbefore described, and the rotor 7 is rotated, the balls 38, by gravity and by the inclination of grooves 37, seek an outer or downward position and tend to ride along the curved surface 39 of trigger 30*. With the trigger positioned as shown in FIG. 4 the balls 38 ride over surface 39 and enter the outer groove 26. The trigger 30, however, may be rotated about pin 31 to the position shown in FIG. 5 whereupon the curved surface 39 of the trigger 30 guides the balls radially inwardly into alignment with the inner groove 25. Thus, the balls 38 which, when they enter the tapered zone 28, move to an outer radial position and pass through mouth 29, may be thereafter passed to the inner groove 25 or may be permitted to enter the outer groove 26, by the manipulation of trigger 30. It can therefore be appreciated that, depending upon the actuation or non-actuation of trigger 30, a ball 38 or a group or several spaced groups of balls may, during one revolution of the rotor 7, be positioned in the outer groove 26.

Employing this control factor, the present invention contemplates a detector mechanism 40 which, at a prescene i4.

determined phase of rotation, detects the presence of those balls in groove 26. This detector may conveniently take the form of an electric switch. Such a switch and its positional relationship to the other parts of the device is shown in FIG. 4. A detailed treatment of detector mechanism 40 is presented in the aboveidentified copending application.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a magnetic guide 90 is mounted on and within stator 6 adjacent to triggering zone 27, the magnetic guide passing through slots 91 and 92 in the stator to project into the triggering zone. Magnetic guide 90 consists of one or more permanent magnets 93 held in position within a well 94 formed in the outer face of stator 6. Magnetic pole pieces 95 and 96 retain magnet 93 within well 94, the pole pieces being Secured by screws 97 and 98 to the outer face of the stator. Pole piece 95 has tabs 95:: and 95b which serve to confine magnet 93 rigidly in position within well 94 in the outer face of stator 6; pole piece 96 has similar tabs 96a and 96b. Screws 97 and 98 pass through tabs 95c and 960 that are also formed on pole pieces 95 and 96, respectively, the screws being threaded into blind holes provided in the outer face of stator 6 to thereby secure the pole pieces to the stator.

Pole pieces 95 and 96 pass through slots 91 and 92 in stator 6, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, and project into triggering zone 27 to terminate therein on either side of circles that include the radially inner limit of annular groove and the radially outer limit of annular groove 26; this is best shown in FIG. 5. The ends of pole pieces 95 and 96 that terminate within triggering zone 27 protrude from the inner face of stator 6 into the triggering zone to form laterally-opposed confining walls therein. Due to magnet 93, and pole pieces 95 and 96, a magnetic field exists between the laterallyopposed confining walls formed by the ends of the pole pieces within triggering zone 27; the lines of force of this magnetic field are generally normal to the circular path that balls 38 follow. Balls 38 upon leaving passageway 29 will thereafter be directed by trigger 30 into proximity to either the wall formed by the end of pole piece 95 or the wall formed by the end of pole piece 96, depending on the position of the trigger. Balls 38 are made of a ferromagnetic material; therefore a ball passing through triggering zone 27 will be attracted to either pole piece 95 or 96 by the magnetic field in accordance with the direction given to the ball by trigger 30. Consequently, as rotor 7 revolves, grooves 37 on the inner face of the rotor cause balls 38 to slide through triggering zone 27 along either pole piece 95 or 96 depending on the initial direction given to the balls by trigger 30, the balls thereafter being uninterruptedly channeled into annular groove 25 or 26.

Due to the guidance and retention of balls 38 by the magnetic field that exists between the ends of pole pieces 95 and 96 as the balls are moved through triggering zone 27 by rotor 7, the balls are accurately aligned with either annular groove 25 or 26 prior to transfer thereto, thus completely eliminating any possibility of a ball jamming at the rib portion that separates the annular grooves.

Magnet 93 is preferably made from a material having a high external energy value, i.e., having maximum energy stored per unit volume of material. The recently developed ceramic permanent magnet materials are particularly well-suited for the fabrication of magnet 93, as are other commercially available materials such as Alnico V. Magnet 93 is positioned with the magnetic lines of force thereof oriented in a direction generally parallel to the inner and outer faces of stator 6 and normal to the planes defined by pole pieces 95 and 96. Pole pieces 95 and 96 are preferably of a high magnetic permeability material, such as soft steel which can also be easily formed. It is understood that stator 6 and rotor 7, and preferably trigger 30, are made of nonmagnetic materials such as zinc or brass since magnetization of the The magnetic attraction of a ball 35 to upper pole piece when such ball comes into proximity thereto must be sufiiciently great to overcome the force of gravity acting on the ball, since gravity always serves to move balls toward lower pole piece 96.

Detector 49, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a feeler arm 49 extending substantially radially from the outer margin of the stator 6 through the slot or space 24 between the stator and the rotor into proximity to the outer groove 26, thereby to detect the presence or absence of balls 38 in the outer groove. As will be appreciated, the

etector 40 may be employed to perform a desired function, or desired respective functions, in response to detection of either the presence or the absence of balls in the outer groove. Also, the detector as may be positioned at a desired phase of rotation of the rotor relative to the triggering zone 27 to provide a desired lag between the time that trigger 36 is actuated and the time that detector 40 is actuated to perform some desired function. Further, a plurality of detectors similar to detector 40 may be employed and may be spaced at different angular positions relative to the triggering zone 27. Thus, a patterned operation of trigger 3% may repeat the pattern in terms of delayed electrical signals at different phases of revolution of the rotor 7. described devices may be employed in conjunction with one another to perform a plurality of correlated func tions.

The present device, or a group of such devices, may be employed in substantially all cases where impressed or recorded data is to be repeated at a later time to perform a predetermined operation. An illustrative example is given in the above-identified pending application.

While I have shown and described what I regard to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A control device comprising a stator having a stator face, a rotor rotatable relative to said stator and having a rotor face juxtaposed to said stator face, said stator face being provided with a pair of spaced parallel annular grooves, said rotor face being provided with an annular series of grooves, each groove of said series being disposed transverse to and connecting with the annular grooves of said stator face, a ferromagnetic ball carried in each transverse groove and ann'ularly movable in one of the annular grooves of said stator face when the rotor is rotated, said stator being provided with a triggering zone at a portion of the annular grooves into which both annular grooves connect, means carried by the stator in the triggering zone for directing the balls in the respective transverse grooves selectively to said annular grooves, said means for directing the balls including magnetic means, and a detector carried by said stator and angularly removed from said triggering zone for responding to the presence of a ball in one of said annular grooves when the rotor rotates.

2. A control device comprising a stator having a stator face, a rotor rotatable relative to said stator, and having a rotor face juxtaposed to said stator face, said stator face being provided with a pair of spaced parallel annular grooves, said rotor face being provided with an annular series of grooves, each groove of said series being disposed transverse to and connecting with the annular In addition, a plurality of the grooves of said stator face, a ferromagnetic ball carried in each transverse groove and annularly movable in one of the annular grooves of the stator when the rotor is rotated, said stator being provided with a triggering zone at a portion of the annular grooves into which both annular grooves connect, means carried by the stator in the triggering zone for directing the balls in the respective transverse grooves selectively to said annular grooves, said means for directing the balls including magnetic means having elongate pole pieces for attracting the balls and directing them to the selected groove, and a detector carried by said stator and angularly removed from said triggering zone for responding to the presence of a ball in one of said annular grooves when the rotor rotates.

3. A control device comprising a stator having a nonmagnetic stator face, a rotor rotatable relative to said stator and having a non-magnetic face juxtaposed to said stator face, said stator face being provided with a pair of spaced parallel annular grooves, said rotor face being provided with an annular series of grooves, each groove of said series being disposed transverse to and connecting with the annular grooves of said stator face, a ferromagnetic ball carried in each transverse groove and annularly movable in one of the annular grooves of the stator When the rotor is rotated, said stator being provided with a triggering zone at a portion of the annular grooves into which both annular grooves connect, means carried by the stator in the triggering zone for directing the balls in the respective transverse grooves selectively to said annular grooves, said means for directing the balls including a movable trigger for directing the balls toward one groove or the other and magnetic means having elongate pole pieces aligned respectively with said annular grooves immediately rearwardly of said trigger in the direction of rotor movement, means for moving said trigger, and a detector carried by said stator and angularly removed from said triggering zone for responding to the presence of a ball in one of said annular grooves when the rotor rotates.

4. A control device comprising a pair of juxtaposed relatively movable members, one of said members being provided with a pair of parallel grooves, ferromagnetic balls disposed between said members and movable in said grooves, means carried by the other of said members for moving said balls through said grooves, a triggering zone in one of said members intermediate the lengths of said grooves, triggering means in said zone for directing balls selectivelyinto said grooves, magnetic means having pole pieces operatively associated with said triggering means for attracting the balls and guiding them into the selected groove, and detector means intermediate the lengths of said grooves spaced from said triggering zone for responding to the presence of ,a :ball in one of said grooves.

5. A control device comprising a pair of juxtaposed relatively movable members formed of non-magnetic material, one of said members being provided with a pair of parallel grooves, ferromagnetic balls disposed between said members and movable in said grooves, means carried by the other of said members for moving said balls through said grooves, a triggering zone in one of said members intermediate the lengths of said grooves, triggering means in said zone for directing said balls selectively toward said grooves, magnetic means carried by one of said members in said zone and having elongate pole pieces immediately rearwardly of said triggering means in the direction of relative movement of said members aligned respectively with said grooves for attracting the balls and guiding them into the selected groove, and detector means intermediate the lengths of said grooves spaced from said triggering zone for responding to the presence of a ball in one of said grooves.

'6. A control device comprising a pair of juxtaposed relatively movable members, a plurality of ferromagnetic control elements drivingly carried by one of said members, said elements being movable relative to said one member selectively into a plurality of positions, trigger means on the other of said members for directing said elements selectively into said positions, magnetic means having a pole piece adjacent each of said positions immediately rearwardly of said trigger means in the direction of relative movement of said members for attracting the control elements and guiding them to the selected position, and detector means on said other member spaced from said trigger means for responding to the presence of control elements in one of their said positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,080 Ramspeck Mar. 11, 1902 1,103,358 Hess July 14, 1914 2,264,348 Weygant Dec. 2, 1941 2,642,974 Ogle June 23, 1953 

1. A CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING A STATOR HAVING A STATOR FACE, A ROTOR ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID STATOR AND HAVING A ROTOR FACE JUXTAPOSED TO SAID STATOR FACE, SAID STATOR FACE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL ANNULAR GROOVES, SAID ROTOR FACE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR SERIES OF GROOVES, EACH GROOVE OF SAID SERIES BEING DISPOSED TRANSVERSE TO AND CONNECTING WITH THE ANNULAR GROOVES OF SAID STATOR FACE, A FERROMAGNETIC BALL CARRIED IN EACH TRANSVERSE GROOVE AND ANNULARLY MOVABLE IN ONE OF THE ANNULAR GROOVES OF SAID STATOR FACE WHEN THE ROTOR IS ROTATED, SAID STATOR BEING PROVIDED WITH A TRIGGERING ZONE AT A PORTION OF THE ANNULAR GROOVES INTO WHICH BOTH ANNULAR GROOVES CONNECT, MEANS CARRIED BY THE STATOR IN THE TRIGGERING ZONE FOR DIRECTING THE BALLS IN THE RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE GROOVES SELECTIVELY TO SAID ANNULAR GROOVES, SAID MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE BALLS INCLUDING MAGNETIC MEANS, AND A DETECTOR CARRIED BY SAID STATOR AND ANGULARLY REMOVED FROM SAID TRIGGERING ZONE FOR RESPONDING TO THE PRESENCE OF A BALL IN ONE OF SAID ANNULAR GROOVES WHEN THE ROTOR ROTATES. 